Resilient wheel.



. H. WELCH.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

APPLIcmoN man nmz?. 19u.

W. H. WELCH.

HESHIENT W'HEkL.

APPLlcATxoN mio 05021.1911A Intvnvd Nov. 5, 1918.

2 SHEES-SHEEY 2.

WILLIAM H. WELCH, 0F SALEM, CHIO.

RESILIENT WHEEL.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 5, 1918.

Application filed December 27, 1917. SeriaI No. 209,034.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, VILLIAM H. WELCH, a citizen of the United States,residing at Salem, in the county of Columbiana and State of Ohio, haveinvented certain newV and useful Improvements in Resilient Wheels, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in resilient Wheels, the primaryobject being to provide a generally improved wheel of this class whichwill not only be exceedingly simple in construction, cheap ofmanufacture, and eliicient in` use, but which will embody the advantagesof and eliminate the objections now found in wheels oiE this classheretofore designed.

A further object is to improve and simplify the resiliently connectedmovable parts, ltogether with improved means for adjusting andregulating the tension or sensitivencss of the resilient or springconnecting means, whereby the Wheel, as a whole, may be readily andquickly adapted to varying superposed loads.

A still further object is the provision of improved means of assemblingand disassembling the parts for the purpose of facilitating theadjustment and replacement of parts When Worn or broken, as Well as theprovision of improved spring tensioning means and bearing connectionswhereby the parts :1re properl braced during their relative movements 1nthe practical operation of the Wheel, the improved Wheel also having itsparts so arranged and disposed relative to each other so as to provide agenerally imroved Wheel of great strength and staility and at the sametime having the requisite resiliency desired in this class of Wheels. i

With the above mentioned and other ends in View, the invention consistsin the novel construction, arrangement, and combination of parts,hereinafter described, illustrated in one of its embodiments in theaccompany ing drawings, and particularly pointed out in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings, forming a part of this specification, Figure1, is a centrel vertical sectional view of a traction Wheel constructedin accordance With this invention, the parts being shown in their normalor non-compressed position.

F ig. 2, a similar view, the parts being shown in their loaded orcompressed posi* tion for the purpose of clearer illustration of theconstruction and operation of the movable spring resisted parts.

Fig. 3, a similar view of the same ns embodied in asteering wheel andapplied to an ordinary steerin Y axle.

Fig. l, a circum erential sectional view taken on line 4- 4, of Fig. l.

Fig. 5, a perspective disassembled View of ln3 parts comprised in theimproved wheel Similar numerals of reference designate like partsthroughout all the figures of the drawings.

The hub or spindle sleeve 1, may be of any suitable and convenientconstruction, and so likewise as toy the spindle shaft 2. When used as adriving or traction wheel the spindle sleeve 1, may be connected to thedriving shaft 2, in any suitable and convenient manner, as for example,by means of a key member 2, as shown in Figs. 1, 2, and 4, of thedrawings. The sleeve 1, is provided with a fixed abutment 1, in thepresent instance, in the form of a fixed disk or flangeY member, and thesleeve 1, is further provided near its opposite or outer end with amovable abutment or spring and lever tensioning member l", said abutmentor tensioning member, in the present instance, being in the forni of adisk and being provided with a central threaded nut portion 1, threadedon a threaded portion on the outer end of the sleeve l, and adapted tobe secured in any desired adjusted position by means of a lock nut l,When used as a driving or traction Wheel, the fixed abutment l, ofthesleeve may be provided With a brake drinn 1.

As a means of resliently connecting the spindle sleeve 1, to the Wheelhub 3, adapted to carry and support a Wheel 4, of any Suitable andconvenient construction, a hub or spindle suspending collar is movablymounted about the sleeve 1, and is provided with a relatively fixedabutment 5a, in the form of a disk member arranged opposite andincoperaiive'relation to the adjustable abutment or tensioning member l,andas a means of resisting Vor cushioning the action of thelongitudinally movable suspending collar 5, as moved by the action ofthe horizontal suspending levers as hereinafter described, a. resilientor cushioning member 6, in the present instance, in the form ofe helicalcompression spring, is interposed between the fixed abutment 1a, and theabutment 5, of the suspending collar 5, and surrounds the latter asshown, and as a means of actuating the abutment 5, and the suspendingcollar 5, :is well as operatively connecting the same to a wheel hub orflange member 3, the abutment disk 5a, is provided with a series ofopenings 5b, adapted to receive and contain a series of horizontallyextending hub suspending levers 7, the latter being provided with camacting disk-shaped heads 7, the latter being provided with roundedbearing portions 7", adapted to bear against the movable abutment ortensioning member 1b, the outer ed es of said head 7 terminating inrounded caring flanges 7 c, seated in annular grooves 5, of the abutment5, carried by the hub suspending collar 5, and it will be obvious thatthis construction will permit of a universal rocking movement to begiven to the heads 7, as the latter are moved by the hub suspendinglevers 7, connected to the body of the wheel as hereinafter described.

As a means of movably or flexibly connecting the ends of the levers 7,to the hub or flanged portion 3, of the wheel, the free ends of thesuspending levers 7 are provided with ball members 7d, the latter beingremovably secured in socket bearings 3a, of the wheel member 3, and onthe inner sides of split rings 8, provided with openings 8, throughwhich the ends of the levers 7, extend, said split bearing rings 8,being removably se cured in position by means of attaching bolts, asshown most clearly in Fig. 5, of the drawings. In order to permit thesuspending levers 7, to have the requisite universal or tiltingmovements while the wheel is in action, it will be observed that theopenings 5, in the abutment 5a, and the openings 8, in the split rings8, are formed larger in diameter than the adjacent portions of thelevers 7, passing therethrough, and it will also be observed that thesensitiveness or action of the suspending levers 7, and of the wheel, asa whole, may be readily regulated as desired by moving and adjusting thespring and lever tensioning member 1b, in accordance with predeterminedloads, the movement of the tensioning member l", being readily made by awrench through the medium of the nut 1, and the tensioning member beingreadily locked in any desired adjusted position through the medium of alock nut 1d.

It will be seen that the suspending collar 5, is movable longitudinallyof the spindle sleeve 1, and against the action of the spiral spring 6,by the action of the suspending levers 7, connected to the wheel hub 3,and as a means of preventing relative circumferential movement betweenthe suspending collar or sleeve 5, and the spindle sleeve 1, saidmembers 1 and 5, are provided with longitudinally extending key waysadapted to slidably receive and contain a suitable key member 10, and asa means of inclosing and protecting the working parts, the wheel hub orflange member 3, is provided with a detachably mounted hub cap or cover11, which latter, in the present instance, is threaded to the hub 3,through the medium of an internall threaded flange 3b.

pon reference to Figs. 1 and 2, of the drawings, it will be seen thatthe cam acting disk-shaped heads 7u provide a variable fulcrum point ofdecreasing efficiency with respect to the lever action of the levermembers 7 as the free ends of the latter are elevated and the wheel ismoved upwardly toward the spindle by the action of the superposedload,-as Will be apparent upon reference to the position of the parts asshown in Fig. 2, of the drawings, thereby giving an increasing ratio ofresistance as the Wheel proper is moved toward the spindle, while on theother hand, when the levers are in their normal or substantiallyhorizontal position under ordinary conditions as illustrated in Fig. 1,of the drawings, the fulcrum points of the levers are shortened and thefree ends of the levers and the adjacent parts are renderedcorrespondingly sensitive to the slight vibrations and shocks incidentto the ordinary operation of the wheel.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with. theaccompanying drawings, the operation. and advantages of my inventionwill be readily understood.

Having thus described one of the embodiments of my inventiony what Iclaim and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is,-

1. In a resilient wheel, relatively fixed and movable sleeves providedwith abutments, a spring interposed between the latter, suspendinglevers carried by said movable abutment and provided with heads havingvariable fulcrums, a wheel member flexibly connected to said levers andan adjustable abutment carried by said fixed sleeve against saidvariable fulcrums of said levers.

Q. In a resilient wheel, horizontally fixed and movable flanged sleevemembers, resilient means interposed between the flanged portionsthereof, hub suspending levers carried by one of said sleeve members, aspring and lever tensioning member adjustably mounted on said fixedsleeve member and abutting against said lever members, and a wheelmember flexibly connected to said lever members.

3. A resilient wheel, comprising fixed and laterally movablesleevesprovided with abutment disks, resilient means interposed betweenthe latter, an adjustable disk on said fixed sleeve and spaced from saidabutment 0n said laterally movable sleeve, horizontal levers providedwith variable fulcrum cam vso acting heads between said adjustable andmovable abutment disks, and a wheel member flexibly carried by saidlevers.

4. In a resilient wheel, relatively fixed and movable spindle and hubsleeves provided with abutments, resilient means between the latter,suspending levers carried by said movable abutment and provided withflanged disk heads affording variable fulcrums, a wheel member connectedto said levers and an adjustable abutment carried by said fixed sleeveagainst said disk heads of said levers and normally holding the latterand said disk heads in an untipped position. Y

5. In a resilient wheel, a spindle sleeve provided with an abutment, alaterally movable hub sleeve provided with an abutment, a springsurrounding said hub sleeve and interposed between said abutments, hubsuspending levers carried by said hub sleeve abutment, a wheel bodyconnected to said levers and an abutment adjustably mounted on saidspindle sleeve and abutting against said levers and adapted to move thelatter against said spring and laterally movable hub sleeve.

6. In a resilient wheel, a fixed sleeve provided with an end abutment, alaterally movable surrounding sleeve provided with an end abutment, aSpring surrounding said movable sleeve between said abutments,suspending levers having diskshaped heads carried by said sleeveabutment, a wheel body connected to said levers and an abutmentadjustably mounted on said spindle sleeve and against said disk-shapedheads of said levers and adapted to normally hold the latter in ahorizontal position b the re.- sistance of said spring and said aterallymovable sleeve.- 4

7. A resilient wheel, comprising fixed and laterally movable sleevesprovided with abutment disks, resilient spring means interposed betweenthe latter, an adjustable disk on said fixed sleeve and spaced from saidabutment on said laterally movable sleeve, horizontal levers providedwith variable fulcrum cam acting disk heads between said adjustable andmovable abutment disks, and a wheel member flexibly carried by saidlevers at right angles to the latter and against the resistance offeredby said levers and spring means.

8. In a resilient wheel horizontally fixedl and movable sleeve memberscarryin abutments, resilient means between sai abutments, hub suspendinglevers carried by said abutment on said movable sleeve member andprovided with disk-shaped heads, a

Vspring and lever tensioning member adjustably mounted on said fixedsleeve member and against said disk-shaped heads of said lever members,and a wheel member flexibly connected to said lever members and adaptedt0 tip said disk-shaped heads against the resistance of said springresisted movable abutment and sleeve.

9. A resilient wheel, comprising a spindle member having fixed andadjustable abutment disks, a hub suspendim;r collar provided with anabutment disk, horizontal hub suspending levers movably carried by thelatter and having cam acting heads interposed between the same and saidad'ustable abutmentdisk, a spring interposed etween said spindle andcollar abutment disks and tending to hold the latter away from eachother and to hold said levers in their normal horizontal position, and awheel member fiexibly connected to said levers and extending at rightangles thereto.

10. A resilient wheel, comprising longitudinally fixedy and movablesleeve members provided with abutments, a coiled spring interposedbetween the latter, hub suspending levers carried by said abutment onsaid movable sleeve member and provided with variable fulcrum cam actingheads, a disk member adjustably mounted on said fixed sleeve member andbearing against said cam acting heads, and a wheel member fiexiblycarried by said levers at right angles to the latter and said spring andsleeve members and movable toward and from the latter witlithe movementof said levers and spring.

11. A resilient wheel, comprising a spindle member having fixed andadjustable abut-ments, a laterally movable hub suspending member carryinan abutment, horizontal hub suspending evers earriedvin the latter andhaving variably fulcrumed heads between said fixed and adjustableabutments, a spring interposed between said fixed and movable abutmentsand normally holding said movable abutment against' said variablyfulcrumed headsv whereby said levers are held in a horizontal position,and a wheel member flexibly connected to the opposite ends of saidlevers and extending at right angles thereto.

12. A resilient `wheel, comprising longi tudinall fixed and movablesleeve members provide with abutments, a coiled expansion spring betweenthe latter, hub suspending levers normally carried by said abutment onsaid movable sleeve member in a horizontal position andproyided'withfcam acting disk heads presenting varying ,fulcrums, a diskmember adjustably mounted on said fixed sleeve member and bearingagainst said cam acting disk heads and normally holding the latter in anuntipped position, and a wheel member flexibly carried by said levers atright angles to sald sprin and sleeve members and movable toward an fromthe latter with the tipping movements of said disk heads and levers andthe compressing movements of said spring.

13. A resilient wheel, comprising longii tudinally fixed and movablefianged sleeve members, a springr interposed between the fiangedportions thereof and surrounding said movable sleeve member,horizontally arranged hub suspending levers surrounding the latter andprovided with cam acting heads movably disposed at one side of theflanged portion thereof, a spring and lever tensloning disk adjustablymounted on said fixed sleeve member and bearing directly and indirectlya ainst said cam acting heads and movable s eeve member respectively,and a Wheel member flexibly carried by said levers and movable towardand from said sleeve members against the resistance of said levers andsprin 14. A resilient wheel? colnprising longitudinally fixed andmovable sleeve members carrying disk-shaped abutments, a springinterposed between the latter and surrounding said movable sleevemember, horizontally arranged hub suspending levers surrounding thelatter and provided with cam' acting variably fuleruming heads movablydisposed at one side of said movable abutment, a tensioning diskadjustably mounted on said fixed sleeve member and bearing directly andindirectly against said variably fulcruming heads and lnovable sleevemember respectively and normally holding said heads on their shorterfulcrums, and a Wheel member fiexibly carried by said levers against theresistance of said levers and s rm plgln a resilient wheel, a spindlemember pro-vided with fixed and adjustable disks, a lon itudinallymovable sleeve provided with a dlsk inter osed between said fixed andadjustable dis s, horizontally extending levers carried by said movablesleeve disk and pro- 'vided with heads having variable fulcrumsinterposed between said adjustable and movable disks. a resilient membersurrounding said movable sleeve and interposed between said fixed andmovable disks and normally holding said levers in a horizontal positionwith their shorter fulcrum points between said disks, and a wheel memberflexibly connected to said levers and adapted to move the latterradially and circumferentially of said disk and sleeve members throughsaid variable fulcrums and against said resilient member.

16. In a resilient Wheel, a spindle member provided with fixed andadjustable disks, a longitudinally movable sleevevprovided with a diskinter osed between said fixed and adjustable dis s, horizontallyextending levers carried by said movable 'sleeve disk and provided withflanged disk heads presenting increasing fulcrum points between saidadjustable and movable disks with the tipping movements of said levers,a coiled sprlng member surrounding said movable sleeve and extendingbetween said fixed and movable disks normally holding said levers in ahorizontal position with their shorter fulcrum oints between said disks,and a wheel mem r flexibly connected to said levers and ada ted to movethe latter radially and cireum erentially of said disk and sleevemembers through said variable fulcrum points and against said coiledspring. Y

In testimony whereof I have aiiixed my signature in the presence of twoWitnesses.

WILLIAM H. WELCH.

iVitnesses Y WM. C. Gmvns, O. C, BILLMAN.

